


Bard Songs

by eidolonsight



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: M/M, set between their first date and wonderland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 04:51:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16825486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eidolonsight/pseuds/eidolonsight
Summary: Taako's on a date with the sexy grim reaper and it's not that he doesn't love talking about himself, but he wishes he could get his date to do the same.





	Bard Songs

**Author's Note:**

> if you're subscribed to the taakitz tag you might be thinking "hey aren't you the guy that posted angst three hours ago?" yeah i am and yeah i finished that and immediately went and wrote this to balance out my life

Taako is definitely one to brag, and he wouldn’t hesitate to declare that this date night had gone pretty fucking great so far.

At his recommendation, Kravitz tore them a portal down to Neverwinter for dinner at a wonderful bistro he recalled with an excellent chef, and last he visited, live music to match. That chilly night the restaurant stood largely empty and thus devoid of their pianist, but it didn’t deter either from a nice dinner. Though he wouldn’t admit it, Taako got the impression from their last date that the reaper didn’t fare well in loud, bustling places, so going to a hole in the wall eatery on a week day wasn’t entirely an accident. It meant less distractions to keep the handsome man’s attention all on Taako as the night wound on with stories of Tres Horny Boys adventures up until the crystal lab incident.

He’s wrapping up an exciting recollection of their wagon races in Goldcliff while Kravitz finishes another glass of wine, almost choking on it when Taako adds nonchalantly, “So now they’ve just got like a big lesbian plant outside the bank. It’s pretty dope, you should totally check it out some time! Really adds to the place.”

Kravitz takes a moment to keep from choking behind the gloved hand that covers his mouth while he laughs. “It - it sounds very, interesting. I don’t usually have to go into the more populated areas of Goldcliff, I’ll admit, I can’t remember the last time I stopped by.”

It’s a bit of a clumsy display that enamors the elf that much more. For as suave as the reaper comes off at a glance, the more time they spend together the more Taako uncovers that he’s actually a big _dork_. A cute dork that looks at him with a weirdly tender expression when he’s telling stories with exaggerated gestures and details that may or may not be accurate. But he’s also noticed that the scenario happens a lot. Taako telling stories, talking about himself, his adventures, while Kravitz listens and adds input into surface level conversations about himself, sometimes dipping feet into waters of a more detailed person, but reserved in a way he has a hard time deciphering. It’s something he wanted to approach with more tact than what his slightly buzzed and extremely gay self blurts, “Hey - y’know, Krav, I’m always over here talking about myself. What about you?”

That catches his attention and brows raise. “What do you mean, Taako?”

“Like,” he leans forward and gestures to the reaper, “You’re _death_ , gods, I don’t know how long you’ve been around, I’m sure you got all kinds of cool history to dish out too, huh?”

Kravitz gives a small laugh again, this one weaker and not hidden. Though, strangely, he dodges Taako’s eye. “I’m afraid most of what I’ve experienced is less ‘cool’ and more ‘morbid’. Doesn’t make for good dinner talk to tell you about the endless ways in which people break the laws of death and die for it.”

A fair point. But he’s not buying it. Taako rests his chin on his palm and counters, “But you do stuff between jobs, right? Like right now you’re not working. You never did anything in your time off for the last whatever many years?”

He doesn’t get a reply, instead a considerate gaze studying him, then flicking to the sole waiter in the restaurant passing them by. “Excuse me - sir would you mind if I used your piano over there?” The waiter shrugs and gives him permission, then offers another refill on his wine. Kravitz doesn’t hesitate in accepting.

“Here, I’ll show you something,” the reaper says as he stands from their table and extends a hand.”

Taako doesn’t need to speak, there’s a wide grin plastered on his face alongside eyes glowing with interest. But he does anyway. “Now _this_ is what I’m talking about, m’dude, a handsome man playing his undead heart out for little ol’ me.”

That gets a snicker and Kravitz shaking his head, before he beckons Taako to sit next to him on the bench. He does so and plants himself as close as he can while still allowing enough arm room. Bright blue eyes watch as gloved hands trail along ivory keys, seeming like they need to remember, or find the right place, then idly drum without enough pressure to make a sound. Kravitz takes a moment to think, before he starts to play.

The melody is quiet at first while he draws out soft notes, almost hesitant to make a mistake. But once the intro repeats a second time he finds his confidence and the tempo picks up the slightest bit. It’s still quiet, from the simplicity of the melody over chords, blending into something that fills his chest with a strange sensation, something sad, almost hopeful. A simple chorus plays out and he’s trailing into a second verse, more complex, when Taako notices a shift in the very space around them. The rest of the restaurant had seemed to become more distant before but now he realizes it’s not illusion; the two of them are illuminated at the piano, surrounded by darkness now. Keys play faster and it feels almost like the sun is beaming down on them, not torches. He swears he can feel a warm breeze rustle his hair. All the while he can’t tear his eyes away - it’s not like there’s anything to be afraid of in that moment with Kravitz, and the beautiful melody that hits a still not-too-loud crescendo before he’s back to a quiet melody mimicking the simplicity of the intro.

No special check or spell is required to figure out what’s going on. The song is so obviously imbued with magic, anyone could tell.

Because it’s a bard’s song.

As it ends the sunlight fades in place of the lights in the room, and finally Taako is able to tear his eyes away from the keys to meet Kravitz’s, who offers a sheepish smile.

“Do you, know any more? Like that?” Taako asks in a soft tone after pausing.

The reapers dark eyes sparkle. “Plenty.”

So he keeps playing. The next song is even more joyous than the last - not a subjective observation that Taako makes, but it’s the feeling that swells in his chest along with a more sweeping melody that conjures a stronger wind blowing around them. It’s something meant for adventure, that much he can tell, something begging for excitement and movement, like a stream always running and searching for more. Like before it’s simply _beautiful_ as well, and by the way Kravitz plays it’s clear the feelings magically drawn don’t just affect the elf; a wide grin sits on his face and when he glances over at the other Taako can swear he’s never seen the grim reaper look more _alive_. In more than one sense. Whatever reservations contain the man any other time are gone, for the moment, and he drinks in every note of his passion played out just for him.

When the melody ends with a flourish of notes he’s convinced are just the result of his date _showing off_ for the first time since they’ve gone out, there’s no pause before he launches into another song, this one more dramatic but just as lively. The effects are more visible as he plucks the same four keys with one hand and plays out the melody in the other: it’s snowing around them, at first slow, but whipping into a blizzard that goes through them both as he launches into a chorus. Again Taako feels a tug for adventure, but it’s different, almost desperate in it’s desire.

Restaurant lights return and there’s a pause this time while Kravitz seems to think again about what to play.

He starts another song. This is slow again, like the first, but never quite seems to pick up the same energy or volume. An illusion of a raindrop hits the keys of the piano, and other, until they’re sitting in a hazy, silent downpour that tries to deliver a melancholy mood. But Taako isn’t fucking having that one, nope, this is way too great of a night even for a fake sad time. With how quiet the trailing melody is, he decides to voice the thoughts that have sat heavy in his mind up until this point.

“Okay so like. First of all, didn’t know you could do any actual magic, or that you’re a fucking _bard_ -”

“Was a bard,” Kravitz corrects him with a sideways glance and hint of a smile.

“ _Is am was whatever_ . My point is like - where did you learn this shit? I’ve never seen any bard songs that just, do _this_ ,” he says with a gesture to the atmosphere around them.

There’s a pause before he replies, focused on transitioning into something different. It’s happier, in a way. A song that feels nostalgic for somewhere Taako has never been, and never would be.

“Hundreds of years ago...maybe, five hundred? Or more? I can’t recall - but there was a race called the fae. They were a very secluded people that many considered to just be myth due to how rare sightings were. Even I never met one for ages. When I did, I learned it was because their people have no use for necromancy or other death altering arts. In their culture, they celebrated death. While most races fear the mere concept of the grim reaper, let alone _meeting_ him, the fae were...surprisingly welcoming.” His voice has grown quiet, eyes not focused as much on the instrument in front of him but instead on a distant memory. Taako’s never heard him talk about something actually kind of personal like this at length before. He doesn’t dare to breath. “They also loved music. Singing, instruments, anything. So, when one of the fae were reaching the end of their life, it was custom for them to compose a song. It could be about anything. Their life, how they felt, what they liked, it didn't matter. It would be a memory of them.”

“The way they used magic and music - it’s not really, like the way bards usually compose. For bards there’s an obvious purpose to a song. Heal, strengthen, mislead, capture, kill, anything. But, the fae didn’t even know what a bard was. They just...made music, and the magic came second. And they were happy to share their songs with me.” In the corner of Taako’s eye he could see figures moving, like they were dancing and chatting joyously. He could have sworn one of the silhouettes wore a familiar cloak. But when looked at directly, they were gone. “For a while I would visit them whenever I could. But time...has a way of getting away from me. A few decades passed between visits and suddenly they were gone. Their home was just a forest and nothing more. I’ve never seen one since.”

His song trails off and Taako is still focused on studying his expression. Kravitz doesn’t seem, sad really, but distant. Until noticing the gaze leveled on him and meeting it with a small smile as the restaurant again returns.

“I never fully understood how they made their songs, but I remember some of them still.”

His hands find another tune and begin to play. This time nothing around them changes, and Taako realizes this must just be a normal song. He spends a moment listening and watching gloved fingers move effortlessly along ivory, before looking back to the reaper. “I think I’m a little lost for words. That was all pretty dope.”

That earns him a chuckle that Kravitz, thankfully, cannot hide for once.

“No - like, seriously that’s really cool. I told you you had good stories from your off time. And a soundtrack to go with them? You’re the whole fuckin’ package, babe.” Now he’s just teasing, knowing how flustered the other gets when he sprinkles in affectionate names. It pays off when he fumbles over a few notes.

After shaking his head and flashing a another smile - _an adorable blushing smile? is he blushing? absolutely divine! -_ he offers back, “Maybe you’re right. I’m not very used to talking about myself is all.”

“Then I’ll fix that because Taako’s got all kinds of amazing and _fascinating_ tales to weave but he can’t go giving them all away so soon - I gotta keep up the mystery, you know? And right now you’re enough mystery for both of us.”

“What if I like to be mysterious? It fits the aesthetic.”

“Non-optional. Relationships are about give and take, it’s time to give me some mystery back.”

He realizes too late that maybe _relationship_ hadn’t been the right word, because Kravitz falters again and looks at him with wide eyes for a moment. That’s a stupid mistake - and from _him_ of all people? Taako opens his mouth to brush the phrasing off with a joke, but doesn’t get the chance.

“I suppose this can be a relationship with equal mystery rights.”

A relationship it is, then.

After that conversation lulls into a comfortable melody.

**Author's Note:**

> once again thanks for reading and support my brand at https://thesun-star-moon.tumblr.com/


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